Accordion with amplifier attachment



April 1948'- E. D. ,TEmowsKl 2,439,551

ACCORDION WITH AMPLIFIER ATTACHMENT Filed July 26, 1944 d n INVENTOR Patented Apr. 13, 1948 ACCORDION WIT ATTA H AMPLIFIER CEMENT Edward D. Teikowski, Milwaukee, Wis. Application July 26, 1944, Serial No. 546,673 2 Claims. (Cl. 841.04)

This invention relates to an accordion with amplifier attachment.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide an accordion with a floating sound pickup so positioned as to receive sound substantially equally from the base and treble portions of the instrument and substantially to exclude mechanical sounds.

More particularly stated, it is my purpose to mount a sound pickup on a floating frame incorporated in the bellows, the bellows serving to damp out mechanical sounds which would otherwise be transmitted from the keys and other mechanical portions of the instrument to the sound pickup.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon analysis of the following disclosure of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. -1 is a front elevation of an accordion embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view on a somewhat enlarged scale taken in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view taken in section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail in perspective showing the pickup mounting.

Like parts are designated with the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The only change made in the accordion is to divide its bellows into two sections 5 and 6, between which is mounted a frame I, coresponding in outline to the bellows. The bellows shown being rectangular, the frame 1 is rectangular, as appears from Fig. 2. The flaps 8 and 9 of the bellows sections 5 and 6 are adhesively secured to the sides of the frame, as shown in Fig. 3, and a finishing ply ID, of any suitable material, such as metal or celluloid, to match the rest of the instrument, is applied externally to the frame.

The two bellows sections 5 and 6 are preferably equal so that the frame 1 floats midway between the treble and base sections H and I2 of the instrument. However, if it is desired to emphasize either the base or the treble, the frame 1 can be located nearer one than the other.

The sole purpose of the frame l is to ca rry the electrical microphone or "pickup l5 and the electric connections therefrom, such connections preferably comprising the wiring l6 and sheath 2 I 1 leading to a conventional jack at I 8, with which the plug I9 is engageable, the plug having a flexible conductor to the amplifier and reproducer at 20. A bracket 2| may conveniently be used in the top or bottom of the frame 1 to mount the microphone or pickup.

Experiments have shown that if the microphone or pickup is attached to any part of the base or treble sections of an accordion, it will give preference to the sound originating in that portion of the instrument to which it is attached, as compared to the other section of the instrument. Moreover, by mechanical conduction, mechanical noises are picked up and amplified, to the detriment of the music.

Where the pickup device is mounted on an inserted frame as herein disclosed, the bellows damps any mechanical transmission of sound, and the pickup device picks up only such sound as comes to it through the air within the bellows. This virtually eliminates mechanical noises, these not being sufficiently intense to traverse the air in competition with musical sounds produced by the instrument.

In addition to the superior reproduction of music by mounting the pickup on the floating frame, I have found that the electrical connections are protected when the device is so mounted, since the floating frame has comparatively little movement during the playing of the instrument and, consequently, there is comparatively little flexing of the electrical wiring externally of the instrument. Of course, the electrical wiring within the instrument is all unitarily mounted on the frame, and is not subject to flexing at all.

Obviously, the frame constitutes a separate article of manufacture, since it may be constructed and fully wired for attachment to existing, as well as to new, instruments.

It will, of course, be understood that the term accordion, as used herein, is intended to apply generically to like instruments,

I claim:

1. In an accordion comprising separate bellows sections and a substantially rigid floating frame substantially centrally thereof and to which adjacent ends of such sections are respectively connected, the combination with such frame, of a pickup device mounted on the floating frame, and electrical connections therefrom carried by 3 said frame, whereby the musical tones from both ends of the accordion may be picked up and conduction of mechanical noises damped.

2. The device of claim 1, in which the support comprises a rectangular frame, and the electrical 5 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Yamashita Sept. 14, 1937 Zaccagnino Aug. 22, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Feb. 17, 1886 Germany Aug. 15,1891 Germany Oct. 24, 1931 

